Around Maryland

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore made a splashy announcement in West Baltimore on Thursday that he’s re-starting the effort to build the Red Line, a transit line that will cross the city from east to west. The announcement was greeted warmly by political and community leaders still smarting from then-Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to cancel the project and forfeit $900 million in federal money.

New data shows Maryland is seeing a sharp increase in the number of school-aged children receiving mental health services. In response, the Harford County Health Department, in partnership with Harford County Public Schools, is stepping up its efforts to provide even more assistance to families. These mental health services are being offered even on the very last day of classes. Students will still be able to tap into HCPS’s services over the summer. Those services have been expanded thanks to a $150,000 grant.

When Marc DeOcampo spent an afternoon designing flags with his son, he didn’t expect one of his designs to become Frederick County’s new flag. DeOcampo, a county resident and City of Frederick employee, won the flag redesigning contest held by the county in honor of its 275th anniversary with his design titled “Frederick, the Crossroads of Maryland.” He won $1,275 and a full-size flag with his design.

As its enrollment continues to climb, Frederick County Public Schools is set to begin searching for a new high school site in the eastern part of the county. District administrators have for years talked about the eventual need for an 11th public high school in Frederick County. But this year’s draft Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP), a 200-page document that lays out the system’s construction priorities, includes the most concrete detail about the project so far.

The day after Baltimore City public school teachers called for higher salaries at Tuesday’s school board meeting, a new study by a local nonprofit found they reported being overworked at “unsustainable” levels as they work to recover from challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers from the Fund for Educational Excellence interviewed 202 city teachers and nine former teachers about their classroom experiences.

The city won’t say when former Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison gave notice of his intent to resign, adding to questions surrounding his abrupt departure. According to Harrison’s contract, he was required to give 90 days written notice of his intent to resign. The Baltimore Banner requested a copy of that letter, and the city declined, saying it was a “personnel record.”uction Strategy, he said he is “determined to improve morale throughout the department.”

Joe Richardson stood in a subway station in downtown Baltimore and stared at the wall, imagining another rail line extending west, all the way to his neighborhood of Midtown-Edmondson. Today, it’s just an idea, but Richardson believes there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build an east-west rail line and create a regional transportation hub in West Baltimore.